SYRIA / Brutal Massacre in al-Ma’adamiyah

Syrian Human Rights Committee – 21/8/2012 – The Syrian Regime forces, its Shabiha and air forces have committed a horrific and harrowing massacre in the town of al-Ma’adamiyah in rural Damascus. In a day in which those killed across Syria exceeded 200, till now, 86 have been counted from al-Ma’adamiyah.

A vast campaign was launched against the town, killing mourners who had gone out to bury their dead, and attacking homes, killing 18 civilians with knifes and white weapons. Helicopters killed more than 16 of the mourners who were preparing to bury their dead and targeted homes with fire and destruction, in the same way that the bodies were debased through burning and distortion.

Local sources which sent us the details have documented the names of some of the victims killed in today’s massacre in al-Mu’adamiyyah:

Zuheir Ma’touq (killed in his home) 2- Mahmoud Ahmed Ma’touq 3- Mahmoud Mohammed Ma’touq 4- Imad Fadlallah al-Qudsi 5- The nephew (his brother’s son) of Imad Fadlallah (killed by a gun 6- Mohammed Ali al-Hamshiri (killed in his home by a gun) 7- Ido Mohammed al-Basimi (al-Tosh) 8- Haitham Mohammed Rislan Ashoor 9- Hussam Mohammed Rislan Ashoor 10- Ahmed Abdul-Hady al-Khateeb 11- Mohammed Deeb al-Khateeb 12- Samir Ibrahim Dawood 13- Waleed Tawfeeq Abdulghani 14- Ahmed Ayman al-Sayid Ahmed 15- Bashar al-Khayaat 16- Omar Mohammed Qazah 17- Omar Ahmed Rajab 18- Mohammed Deeb al-Khateeb 19- Riyadh Mahmoud Rajab 20- Ahmed Mahmoud Rajab 21- Zakariyyah Mahmoud Rajab 22- Mohammed Rajab (Banzeen) 23- Ibrahim Mohammed Hasan Dawood 24- Risaan Sawan 25- Fatima al-Shalabi 26- Faisal al-Shalabi 27- The brother of Faisal al-Shalabi 28- Hikmat Qarqoura 29- Samir Jumua 30- Ali Ghannam 31- Yanal Ghannam 32- Ahmed Adilah 33- Ahmed Ghannam 34- Risaan Sawan 35- Mohammed Omar Karbouj 36- Mazin Mustafa Arabi Katibi 37- Riyadh Bashir Mansour (al-Ra’i) 38- Asiya (an old Palestinian woman) 39- Faris al-Nashar 40- a defected soldier from Homs 41- a young man from Daariyah 42- Abdullah Mohammed al-Mahbaj (from Deir Ezzour) 43- a number of labourers from from al-Bloak factory (owned by Mohammed al-Mahbaj). They were killed at the Palestinian Liberation Organisation Centre.

In addition, ten bodies were slaughtered and burnt and 16 civilians were also killed as a result of shelling on the town of al-Mu’adamiyyah. Ten other bodies were burnt and were unable to be identified.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) offers its heartfelt condolences to the families of victims, and we salute their courage despite the continuous massacres they are facing. We condemn the failure of the international community, in particular, the United Nations which has not played its role in protecting civilians, and call upon the UN to protect them from a regime which does not hesitate to kill mourners, burn bakeries, and shell civilians with military helicopters. We also call upon the UN to investigate these massacres and bring its perpetrators to the International Criminal Court